The Royal Rubies
by tulip meadow
Summary: Rated T for crimes. A fanfic for Chesterton's stories about Father Brown. After the end of The Flying Stars, Flambeau runs through the woods and on his way meets a young beautiful girl, who doesn't recognize the famous thief...
1. A Man In A Sparkling Costume

**Chapter 1. A Man In A Sparkling Costume**

It was a snowy winter, the kind of winter which is very fierce and very rare. Snow covered the trees and the ground and everything, and the terrible frost formed garlands of diamond-hard icicles under the houses' roofs. The sky was covered with an endless grey cloud, and snowflakes were lazily hovering in the cold air.

The weather was so utterly different from the mild warm climate of Aragon! A young Spanish girl in her early twenties shuddered and put on a pair of wool mittens instead of the thin leather gloves she had been wearing previously.

She was walking down a narrow forest path. If an ordinary person looked at her, he or she wouldn't have guessed her true identity. She was thin and short, with long wavy fair hair and a slightly tanned complexion. Her large sky-coloured eyes expressed curiousity and childlike interest. She was dressed poorly but elegantly at the same time, and at first sight no one would have ever suspected that she was incredibly rich in fact.

She was Duchess Marianna Sancha Catherina Almidia herself. The daughter of the rich Duke Juan Almidia and a poor aristocrat Sophia.

About fifteen years ago the story of Duke Almidia was recited in every European paper. The man was a victim of the greatest political intrigue of the decade, forced to migrate to England and to hide his billions safely.

Two years later he was found dead on the villa he and his family rented. Nothing was stolen, and nobody benefited from his death, so the inquest concluded the death had been natural. Duchess Almidia, Sr. was left alone to deal with conspiracy, debts and rents. She survived the hardest part of her life and now was almost enjoying herself. She lived with her daughter and a governess on the villa, with several friends coming for visits weekly.

Marianna's governess was actually the girl's only companion and teacher. Mademoiselle Solange Rielle was a kindly, calm, well-educated lady, who voluntarily came with the Almidia family to England. She gave Marianna an excellent home education and remained the girl's friend in the time of troubles.

Duchess Almidia, Sr. wanted her daughter to get married as soon as possible, especially since there was a man who'd make a perfect groom for Marianna. He was a half-Spanish, half-Italian businessman called Ferdinand Lorizi. He was about thirty years old and his father was a close friend of the Duchess's family. So was the son. He was obviously attracted to Marianna, but she wasn't thinking of marriage just at the moment. She loved her mother, Mademoiselle Rielle, the dear old villa and her whole life. She didn't want to change it in any way.

Right now, on that snowy Christmas Eve, Duchess Almidia, Jr. was coming home from a party at her friend's. She had decided to go through the forest, since it was the shortest way.

An hour later, she regretted her decision. The wind increased, starting a blizzard, it was freezing, and the path disappeared under several inches of snow.

Marianna looked around. Nothing looked a bit familiar. She felt like she had come to the very end of the world.

"Can anyone hear me?" she called, trying to make her trembling voice louder than the howling wind.

When no reply came, Marianna felt tears forming in her eyes. She sat on a fallen tree and tried to comfort herself.

"It's all right," she whispered to herself nervously. "The forest isn't endless. People live here – _somewhere _here. If you search for them, you'll certainly find then. It's a matter of when. It can take time, of course. But you won't help yourself by sitting here and crying."

Just as she stood up, the wind blew away a small cloud which had been hiding the moon.

The silvery light of it cheered Marianna up a little. She sighed and walked away.

She went here and there, one of her gloves fell out of her pocket, but she didn't care. She wished to come home.

After another thirty minutes, she came to a meadow where none other than her glove was lying in the snow. Marianna picked it up to wipe a tear away with it.

"Hello?" she cried. "Can just anyone hear me?"

"The forest is surely haunted," she added in her thoughts. "It's so dreadfully silent…"

And just then the young duchess heard branches cracking in front of her, and a tall man in a strange sparking costume jumped off a tree. His clothes looked as though they were all made of silver in the moonlight. He was dark-haired and his eyes were a shade of dark malachite green.

"I believe you need help, mademoiselle?" he asked with a joyful smile. Marianna was more than startled, but she managed to answer him politely:

"Yes, indeed. I'm afraid I'm lost. I need to find a way to the Almidia Villa."

"Oh, I've certainly seen it," the man nodded. "We're far away from it right now. An hour of walking, maybe more."

"Can you show me the way?" Marianna exclaimed.

"I can even walk you there, but I doubt it would be the best thing."

"Why not?"

"Ladies of your kind don't like strangers."

"You're not a simple stranger," Marianna glanced at his sparkling cloak. "You look more like a kind fairy-tale being. Coming for rescue at Christmas."

The man laughed and took her hand. They walked through the forest, until he said:

"To tell the truth, I'm a simple man – not an elf."

"Really?" Marianna cried. "Oh, then, what's your name? I wish to remember the name of my rescuer."

He hesitated and blushed a bit, but then said:

"I was named Francois Hercule Duroque at the time of my birth."

"You're French? Oh, I love your country. I've been there once and it's amazing," Marianna smiled. "And my name is Marianna Almidia."

She thought that the strange man would recall the story of her father. But he didn't. He simply nodded and said:

"I'm very glad to meet you."

They walked further in silence. Marianna's interest only grew. Despite the man's words, she was still sure there _was _something miraculous about him.

Finally the forest ended and Marianna spotted her villa.

"Thank you a lot," she said with pity. "Could we meet again?"

"I'm afraid – not," the man said. He took something out of his pocket and put it into Marianna's hand. "Keep this to remember me. Farewell, mademoiselle. And Merry Christmas!"

He stood still for a moment – then turned away – and ran so fast that he vanished in the forest in a moment.

Marianna stared at a lovely ruby ring lying in her hand. So all that was not a Christmas dream, after all.


	2. The Wooden Box

**Chapter 2. The Wooden Box**

Marianna walked to the house and knocked lightly on the door, clutching the ring in her free hand. Solange Rielle, a pleasant middle-aged woman, answered the door:

"Sancha!" she always called her second name. "Sancha, my child! I've almost decided to go and search for you! What happened? You told me you'd be back by eight o'clock at most. It's nearing eleven now!"

"Oh, Solange, I've got lost in the woods," Marianna said, entering the hall and taking off her coat.

"The woods? Didn't I tell you to go along the river?"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I just thought it would be the shortest way."

"The shortest way indeed!" Solange sighed. "And how did you come home, may I ask? If one's lost in the forest, there's the only way to get out: to wait for someone to show you the right way. Today's Christmas, and everyone is at home celebrating."

"Luckily, not everyone," Marianna smiled. "A strange man in a silvery costume appeared magically and walked me straight to the villa. He jumped from the tree, as I recall."

"A tree?" Solange cried, suddenly worried. "What did he look like?"

Marianna shrugged:

"Well, about six feet five inches, I suppose. In his mid-thirties. Dark hair and beautiful dark-green sparking eyes. An elegant figure. A friendly smile."

Solange stared at the young naïve duchess with fright.

"Did you tell him anything about yourself?"

"No – nothing – except for the name of the Almidia Villa and my own name. I told him that I'm called Marianna Almidia – I haven't mentioned my full name and the titles. And he said that his name was…"

"Oh my!" Solange nearly screamed. She knew the description too well. Or at least well enough to be aware that one of the richest girls in England had just spoken her name and address to the most famous thief in the world.

The governess, scared half to death, checked Marianna's coat pockets and the purse. The money and the small jewels were all safe, moreover, there was more of them than Solange had expected. She took out a seemingly expensive ruby ring.

"What's that?" she asked.

Marianna blushed and lied:

"One of the _caballeros_ gave me this at the party at Jane's."

"All right," Solange was relieved a little, but decided to inform the police of the whole thing anyway. "Go to sleep: you're exhausted."

"Where's Mama?"

"She's writing her will."

"She's _what_? Solange, you scare me. Mama's forty-three, and she's in a better state of health than me. Dr Kennell keeps telling us about it every week. Why should Mama write a will now?"

"I don't know. Maybe she has already decided all about it and doesn't want to delay making it."

* * *

Marianna went upstairs and nearly ran into her mother. Duchess Almidia, Sr. was a calm, adorable woman, still a youngish one. Her face was always sad, though, and slightly wrinkled. The wrinkles were the traces of troubles, according to the Duchess herself.

"Marianna, you're just in time!" she exclaimed. "I want to show you our family's main treasure. The treasure that will go to you after I pass away…"

Marianna was stunned but walked to her mother's workroom. She watched Duchess Sophia pulling out one of the drawers from her table. Many of these drawers contained money, documents, or maybe souvenirs. But this one was completely empty except for a simple wooden box.

It was the plainest of all hardwood boxes ever, it wasn't even painted or varnished. Marianna stared at it:

"What's that?"

"Look here," Sophia Almidia opened the box with a theatrical gesture. Marianna squealed, dashed. The box contained seven large perfect-shaped rubies. Every faint ray of light made them shine wondrously, and crimson flashes danced around the gems as Marianna took them out of the drawer to take a closer look at them.

"These are called The Royal Rubies, dear," Sophia said proudly. "A legend says that Ferdinand of Aragon gave them to Isabella of Castile on their wedding day. Then they were stolen and… well, I can't know how they got to my father-in-law and then to my husband – after all the centuries. Aren't they fabulous? They have separate names, you know."

"Indeed?"

"Yes, they are named after the Spanish regions: "Castile", "Aragon" (the two largest ones), "Leon", "Valencia", "Catalonia", "Andalusia", and "Granada". And you're going to have them, Marianna."

"Oh, mom! I can't… I can't allow myself to keep such a treasure!"

"Whom it should go to, then?"

"I don't know!"

"But what's so bad about the Royal Rubies?"

"They may be stolen."

"So what? They can be stolen from anywhere. What should we do, then? Destroy them? Bury them underground? Throw them into the sea? Someone must possess them, after all."

Suddenly, Solange entered the room.

"If you're so much afraid of robberies, Marianna," she said loudly, "you shouldn't have mentioned your name and address in front of Flambeau himself, the cleverest and the luckiest thief of Europe!.."

Marianna froze.

"I don't believe he is Flambeau," she cried angrily. "He'd have mugged me right there if he was."

"He's wise enough. He knows that you have remembered him, so mugging you in the forest wouldn't do him much good. It's better for him to crawl into the villa unnoticed and take the Royal Rubies and everything he wants."

"I can swear you he won't do it!"

"Why?" Solange asked, frowning.

"I… I just… well, I feel… I'm sure of it."

"Girls, what _are_ you talking about?" Duchess Sophia cried. After hearing the story, she chuckled:

"Well, Solange, you have to admit that there are hundreds of tall, dark-haired, green-eyed men in the world. I don't believe Flambeau can reveal his own identity – especially in such an unusual way."

"I've warned you," Solange shrugged and left them.

"Oh, Marianna, we're having a Christmas party on Boxing Day!" Sophia said. "Get ready."

"How many guests are invited?" Marianna wanted to know.

"Not many, of course. Dr Kennell, Signor Lorizi, and Father Brown, of course…"

"Add Jane Laurence and Ida Peterson to the list," Marianna said. "And that's all."

"But what about your other friends?"

"I have no other friends besides Jane and Ida."

"Fine," Duchess Almidia, Sr. surrendered. "Tomorrow you'll have to choose the best dress to wear at the party. Agreed?"

"Be sure, Mama."

Marianna kissed her mother's cheek and went off to sleep, thinking about the man in a sparkling costume.

* * *

Euston, London

Flambeau got out of a train and sat on the platform. He needed some time to clear his head. Nobody seemed to notice his silvery costume: it was Christmas, after all. Even his height didn't attract much attention. Everybody was concerned with celebrating.

The sky was almost clear now. Flambeau looked at the stars above him. Father Brown's voice echoed in his head. _In the end a flying star always becomes a fallen star…_

He sighed. Could he change his life as abruptly as necessary? Or was it too late? He was thirty-six. No, it couldn't be late.

Flambeau remembered that Spanish girl, Marianna Almidia. She was the first person in years to trust him. She didn't pretend – she genuinely relied on him that evening. Flambeau could easily see the expensive jewelry sparkling in her coat pockets and hear money rustling and jingling in her purse. Marianna was certainly rich. If she recognized him, she'd run away in a flash.

Why did he give her the ruby ring which he had bought for money he had won in a card game? Not that the ring was special. Flambeau didn't have a habit of giving anything to people, especially of presenting rings to beautiful girls.

Did he really think of her – _beautiful_?

Stop thinking about Marianna, he commanded himself. She was just a girl whom you wouldn't probably meet again. Rent an apartment and think of what to do in your new life.


	3. The Boxing Day Party

**Chapter 3. The Boxing Day Party**

The first guests arrived at five o'clock in the evening. Everyone was ready. Sophia Almidia looked like a queen in her dark-purple dress with an enormous hoop-skirt, a diadem, and an amethyst necklace. She was smiling indulgently and greeting every guest with equal warmth. Solange was in a rather plain lilac cloak; she was assisting the ladies all the time, so no one actually noticed her.

Marianna was, of course, the star of the party. She was much prettier than her friends Jane and Ida, who covered their faces with makeup. Marianna had never worn makeup in her life. Her beautiful green dress suited her perfectly, and her flowing hair were the colour of sunshine – it was especially noticeable in the brightly lit party hall.

Everyone was staring at her – except for a modest small priest called Father Brown, who came first. He was also an amateur but successful detective, and many people in England knew him. The Almidia family respected him a lot.

Ferdinand Lorizi was the second man to arrive.

"Oh, _bella signora_!" he cried in a singsong baritone voice, spotting Marianna. His blue eyes lit with amazement. He rushed to her with excitement and kissed her hand:

"You look wonderful! Oh, this dress looks like it was made for you!.."

Ferdinand's face was tanned with coal black eyebrows and thin lips. His hair was black, too, and curly. He seemed to take everything seriously and expressed childish delight of whatever he liked. To Marianna, he was more a boy than a successful industrialist. He could extemporize poems – actually, he did it all the time.

"Oh Marianna, the beauty queen!  
The prettiest hair I've ever seen  
Are like sunlight…" he started, but then stopped when seeing Sophia.

"The wise an mighty Duchess, I fall to my knees before thee!" he gasped. Jane, Ida and Marianna laughed to tears. Ferdinand turned to them again:

"Miss Laurence, the country's beauty, and Miss Peterson, the brilliant singer!" he clapped and kissed the girls' hands.

There was a knock on the door, and Solange answered it. That time it was the last guest, Dr Edmund Kennell, a sensible and majestic fifty-year-old man.

"Hello Sophia," he nodded to Duchess Almidia, Sr., who came to welcome him. "How are you today?"

"Thanks, Edmund, everything is as it should have been."

"Merry Christmas," he handed her a Christmas card and a large bottle of French perfume.

"Oh, Edmund! Are you sure you won't waste all of your money on such wonderful presents?" the Duchess laughed. "Thank you very much. Solange, put the perfume on the table."

Solange obeyed. Dr Kennell walked into the hall and greeted everyone in the same polite and majestic way – perhaps just a little colder. Marianna was sure there was _something_ between him and her mother. She didn't like it, but it was the truth, most certainly.

* * *

Ferdinand took Marianna's hand.

"Can the _bella signora_ spare a moment?" he asked, suddenly serious.

"Of course," Marianna nodded. Jane and Ida giggled, and Sophia Almidia nodded with approval.

Ferdinand led her upstairs to the living room. They sat on the sofa.

"Well?" Marianna asked, impatient. Lorizi blushed, lowered his head and twisted his fingers:

"Ah… so. Ahem, to begin with… Hm!.. er… Marianna, I love you!" he cried, his large eyes full of some kind of despair. "Will you – will you give me the honor… will you marry me?.."

Marianna opened and closed her mouth. There were no reasons for saying no, yet – in her opinion – no obvious reasons for accepting. She had read in novels that girls are thrilled and their hearts beat rapidly and they feel wonderful bliss when they receive a proposal from the man they love. Well, she felt neither of this! The only time when she was felt everything was the moment… Marianna blushed. _The crackling of a branch – the marvelous dark-green eyes looking into hers – the soft quiet voice – the gentle but firm grip of a hand – the fingers putting a ruby ring into her own hand… No – no – they won't ever meet again! She shouldn't think of him!_

Ferdinand misunderstood her embarrassment and whispered:

"Say yes if you want to say yes. Your shyness is killing me."

Marianna sighed deeply:

"No."

"What?"

"You heard me. No. I won't marry you."

Ferdinand threw his hands to his face. When he lowered them, his cheeks were wet with tears.

"Oooh, my life's ruined!" he sobbed. "Who's the lucky fellow? He must be an ideal man if you love him truly… You wouldn't choose a bad guy."

"Now, calm down, Ferdi," Marianna said. "First, you're not a bad guy. Second, the man I love…" she sighed again. "We met once and we cannot meet once more. I don't even know if he loves me. Oh! If he does, he's _un_lucky!.."

"Will you remain my best friend at least?" Ferdi pleaded.

"Surely," Marianna smiled. "Let's go back to the hall."

Jane and Ida noticed them first and ran to them, laughing:

"So? When will the wedding take place?"

"Alas, never!" Ferdi groaned, raising his hands. "Poor Marianna! Her heart is bound to a man she'll never see again, and I – her true friend – was fierce enough to propose to her! I should be hanged!"

"There, there," Sophia Almidia patted him on the shoulder. "Marianna might change her mind."

"O, the kindest of all women in the world – except for your daughter!" Ferdi sobbed. "You understand all!"

* * *

The party continued until half past eleven. Jane Laurence was the first one to leave. When going to the wardrobe to take her coat, Jane slipped on something and nearly fell. Solange picked "something" up with apologies.

"A piece of onion," she cringed as her face twisted. "Jack – that clumsy cook – must have dropped it."

She went to throw the onion into a dustbin and forgot about it.


	4. Sophia's Last Day

**Chapter 4. Sophia's Last Day**

*Seven months had passed since the Boxing Day Party*

It was a bright August afternoon. Duchess Almidia, Sr. was having lunch with her family and also Lorizi at the terrace. She was wearing her favourite dress with an incredibly wide skirt and seemed joyful and happy.

"So, Marianna, how are you painting lessons going?" she asked her daughter.

"Wonderful, Mama. I've recently finished a lovely landscape. Ms. Jones keeps praising me."

"Bravo!" Ferdinand Lorizi cried with a grin, clapping vigorously. "Our _bella signora_ is a genius! I knew it! I knew it! She has amazing talent."

Marianna smiled. Lorizi hadn't changed at all. He was still hoping she'd change her heart, so he wasn't even offended of her declining his proposal seven months earlier.

"Dr. Kennell's birthday is upcoming," Sophia Almidia said. "He has invited us all."

"It's so kind of him," Solange agreed. She loved parties. Marianna just nodded politely: she definitely didn't like the interest Dr. Kennell had for her mother. Ferdi squealed excitedly just as always.

The clock struck half past five. Ferdi turned sad:

"Oh, how awful! I have a business meeting in London in just half an hour. I hate to leave the wonderful villa. But I'll be back tomorrow."

He packed his bag and waved goodbye to everyone before getting into his car and driving away.

"Such a funny fellow," Solange remarked.

Duchess Almidia, Sr. got up and said:

"Solange, dear, couldn't you go and buy some tangerines? I want tangerines."

"Of course, ma'am," Solange smiled. "Marianna, do you want to go with me too?"

"I think I'd better sit in the garden and read," the younger duchess said. "When are you going to be back? Just for me to know?"

"In an hour, as usual."

"Oh," Duchess Sophia suddenly said, turning to Solange. "Go to Dr. Kennell's and tell him to come."

"What's it, ma'am?"

"N-nothing serious, Solange. A little cold – a sore throat. I want him to bring the tablets I always take."

Duchess Sophia entered the house and went upstairs majestically. Solange took a purse and walked to the road, counting money in the purse. Jack Ray – the cook – took the empty plates away to the kitchen.

* * *

Marianna snatched her favourite book ("Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontё) and rushed to the beautiful fountain in the garden. She adored sitting near the fountain and reading.

Right now, though, she couldn't concentrate on the novel. She hadn't been able to concentrate on it for seven months. The memory of the man in the sparkling costume had been haunting her every single day.

She took her personal jewelry box out of her purse and opened it. The ruby ring was lying there, the only real reminder of that wonderful Christmas Eve. Marianna gently took it with her two fingers and sighed.

"I still remember you," she whispered to the ring. Somehow she wished that the man would hear her if she talked to him in such a way.

"I still remember you and wish we could meet. I know it's foolish of me, for I don't even know you. I only know your given name, Francois Hercule Duroque. Oh how I'd love to see you again – just to look at you… And don't worry, I don't love Ferdi at all."

She sighed once more and put the ring back. Then she closed and hid the jewelry box and opened "Jane Eyre" on a random page.

But before Marianna could read at least a passage… she heard a faint scream coming presumably from the villa.

"I'm beginning to hallucinate," she mumbled. But the scream was followed by another one, and then by a kind of shriek. Marianna threw the book away and ran to the house.

Jack Ray was already running to the garden, with his face bone white, yelling:

"Your Excellency! Your Excellency! It's dreadful – oh – dreadful – dreadful – I can't bear it!.."

Jack nearly slammed into Marianna and stared at her with terror:

"Her Excellency – I mean, your mother…"

"What? What's with her?" Marianna cried, panicked by the whole thing. The cook was just trembling, desperate to speak anything. Marianna pushed him aside and ran like the wind to her mother's room.

* * *

Duchess Sophia was lying on the carpet. She was all covered in blood, and blood was everywhere on the floor. A pistol was in her hand. Another hand held a unfinished note:

_Marianna, my dearest daughter, I'm so terribly sorry t—_

Marianna felt her world fade before her eyes as she collapsed on the floor.

"Your Excellency, the police…" she heard Jack's shouts. Then everything went black.

Detective Plann, Dr. Kennell and Father Brown had arrived at the Almidia Villa to find Sophia dead, Marianna unconscious, and the servants having a collective breakdown.

"She killed herself," Solange was sobbing. "Why? Why? She was so cheerful just half an hour ago. I can't believe it!"

"Perhaps she was killed," Plann suggested.

"But the note – you see the farewell note…"

"Is it the Duchess's handwriting?" Plann asked.

"It is," Father Brown, Dr. Kennell and the servants said together.

Dr. Kennell was kneeling beside Sophia Almidia's body and wiping his face with a sleeve.

"Killed by a bullet fired into her heart. Died instantaneously," he concluded in a desperate voice. "Oh, Sophia, dear Sophia! Lost – lost – all lost… I'll strangle the murderer!"

"So _you're _sure that she was murdered," Plann said.

"Absolutely! She's – oh, she _was_ too gentle and kind to…"

Before Dr. Kennell could finish the sentence, he was interrupted by Ferdinand Lorizi marching joyfully through the garden.

"My boss is ill – the meeting's cance-e-elled!" he sang. When he saw Solange's tear-soaked face, he stopped in his tracks.

"Solange!" he smiled reassuringly. "What happened in this terrible world that made the Joy herself weep?"

"Signor Lorizi, stop your jokes," Solange groaned. "Her Excellency – she was – oh, she was found dead in her room!" She collapsed into hysterics.

"_Marianna?_" Ferdi cried. "No, no!"

"No, sir," Detective Plann said as he noticed the man. "Duchess Marianna Almidia is alive. It's her mother who's dead."

Ferdi's face twisted with shock:

"Not Duchess Sophia – no, no – I can't believe it – it's even more impossible!"

"Calm down, sir, we understand all," Plann said friendly. "We're very sorry for the loss…"

"How's Marianna?" Ferdi wanted to know.

"She's unconscious, sir. You'd better not disturb her. A trained nurse is treating her, so Duchess Marianna is going to be alright soon."

"Thank goodness," Ferdi sighed and ran inside the house.

"Oh, Duchess Sophia," he sobbed, seeing the corpse. "I can't even bear it. It's a nightmare… aah, poor Marianna…"


	5. Alibis and Secrets

**Chapter 5. Alibis and Secrets**

*On the next day*

Detective Plann was sitting in his office, with Father Brown in front of him.

"Who do you think was it?" he asked.

"Let's ask them first," Father Brown said quietly. "Whom does the police suspect?"

"The daughter, probably," Plann answered. "Couldn't wait to inherit her billions, so – well. Got rid of her mother."

"I don't think so. I've known both of them for a long time. Marianna was very devoted to Sophia. She wouldn't have committed murder for just money – which, by the way, goes to her anyway as to the closest relation."

"The second one is that doctor. He was having an affair with the duchess. Maybe it was the plain old story of love and jealousy. Who knows?"

"Let's listen to them first," Father Brown suggested again. Plann shrugged and ordered to call Marianna to the office.

Soon the young duchess entered. She was wearing a black dress and a veil, and her cheeks were tear-soaked. Plann immediately turned into an understanding friend again.

"We all understand your loss, Your Excellency. We're all terribly sorry," he said reassuringly. "An evil person was that who committed the crime. The question is – who?"

"I hardly know! Mama – she had no enemies – she was so kind and sensible…" Marianna sobbed. "The servants adored her. Jane and Ida loved her like an aunt. I… I…" she burst into tears. Plann handed her a handkerchief.

When the girl recovered, he said:

"We need all the evidence we can get to figure things out. Please tell me what did you see between the time you last saw your mother and the… discovery of the crime."

Marianna sighed sadly:

"Mama was so lively during the lunch. We had lunch with her, Solange, and Ferdi. We were talking about my painting lessons, then – yes, then Mama told us that Dr Kennell had invited us all to his birthday party. Then suddenly Ferdi looks at the clock on the wall and says 'I have a business meeting in the city. I'm so sorry, I'll return here tomorrow!' He drives away, and Mama asks Solange to go and buy some tangerines…"

"Yes?" Plann was taking notes.

"That's how the lunch had ended. Then Solange was just about to leave, when Mama said 'Call Dr Kennell for me. It's nothing serious, just a small cold'. She ordered that and went upstairs, to her room. Solange also left, the cook took the plates away, and, as for me, I went to the garden to sit by a fountain and read."

"And here's the most important part," Plann announced. "What did you see and hear then?"

Marianna shrugged, blushing a little.

"I have to admit, I was distracted… I was… absorbed in reading. It was, you see, my very favorite book," she hurried. "I didn't pay attention to this world. I doubt my evidence is correct. Well, I heard nothing until two screams and something like a shriek came from the house. I ran to the veranda, but, you see, I was quite far away. I slammed into the cook, Jack Ray, who was all blanched and scared to death. He couldn't speak properly. I rushed past him to Mama's room and saw… saw…" she sobbed.

"Who can give us the assurance that you were in the garden at the time of the murder?" Plann asked.

"Solange can say that I went to the garden before she had left. Jack can admit that I ran to the house after… _that_ had happened."

"Hm," Plann said, hesitating. "You must understand that the alibi's not so good. You had a gap of time when no one saw you."

"What?" Marianna exclaimed. "Are you telling me… do you mean… that I could kill Mama?.. You're plain cruel if it's so!"

"Nobody's accusing you, as for now," Father Brown spoke up. The girl calmed down.

"Your Excellency, that's all we wanted to know from you," Plann concluded. "Could you please invite your governess here?"

Marianna walked out and Solange Rielle entered. She was also desperate but less hysterical.

"I see that you want to catch the murderer," she said firmly after greeting the detectives. "I must tell you all about that day."

"Oh, please do," Plann nodded.

* * *

Solange's evidence was longer and more precise than Marianna's. She mentioned some minor details and told about her visit to the town greengrocery and to Dr. Kennell.

"Dr. Kennell wasn't at home, actually. He was urgently called to an orphan asylum," Solange explained. "I waited for some time and then went home…"

''All right, thanks, ma'am," Plann smiled. "Let's call the last person besides the servants who was present at the last lunch of Sophia Almidia."

* * *

Ferdinand Lorizi was twice as tearful as Marianna. However, Plann managed to get the information about his alibi. Lorizi then left, crying.

After that, the servants from the Almidia Villa were questioned, but they couldn't give much evidence. When the last of them left, Plann sighed and said:

"I still think it was the young Duchess Almidia. She has a weak alibi. She has the motive all right."

"But she doesn't have a pistol that could kill her mother. She hasn't ever had anything like the weapon we found, actually," Father Brown said. "We asked Mademoiselle Rielle about it. Solange Rielle knew about the duchess's possessions."

"Well, yes, that's the only weak point," Plann agreed. "Then take Dr. Kennell. He's on his way from a patient – so we'll see about him. Then Solange Rielle. We'll ask the greengrocers and the servants of Dr. Kennell's about her alibi. If she hasn't lied, then she's free of suspicion. Then the servants of the Almidias. They did have opportunities, but no motives, as far as we know."

"You have forgotten one thing," Father Brown reminded politely. "The note we found in Sophia Almidia's hand. _Marianna, my dearest daughter, I'm so terribly sorry to. _The handwriting is hers no doubt. The note is obviously unfinished, but what was it about?"

"The murderer has put it into her hand for everyone to find, because he wanted it to prove the suicide version."

"Maybe. But it's incomplete! Why didn't he or she wait for the Duchess to finish the letter? The reason is that the letter was about something else. What could Sophia Almidia be sorry about?"

"Perhaps Dr. Kennell will enlighten us," Plann shrugged.

* * *

A policeman entered the office.

"Mr. Plann, we found some of Sophia's notes with yesterday's date on them."

"So?" Plann's eyes lit up. The policeman handed the notes to him.

"Aha!" Plann cried. "There it is! Father, take a look!"

The notes were as following:

_The 25__th__ of July. I'm so frightened and excited. Marianna at least will be disappointed – and Solange won't forgive me. Should I write a note? "Marianna, my dear, I'm so sorry to leave you alone. It won't be long, I promise." Oh, I'm lost! I've never kept a diary before – I hate confessing to a soulless piece of paper… I don't understand myself. My poor child – will Marianna love him or her? I'll write a note to her, that's the only way._

"_Child_?" Father Brown raised his eyebrows. "Where did you find this?"

"In the fireplace, under the ash," the policeman reported.

"Why wasn't it burnt?" Plann wondered aloud.

"It's unusual to light a fire on the 25th of July, at noon, isn't it?" Father Brown sighed. "Poor soul. Poor soul. Why didn't she confess?"

Another policeman came into the office:

"Edmund Kennell is aching to tell you something," he informed Plann.

Before anyone could utter a word, Dr. Kennell ran inside. He wasn't like himself at all: he was breathing fast and swallowing tears.

"Yesterday Signor Lorizi interrupted me…" he began, without even saying hello. "I was busy… I had some nearly dying patients… I'm here to tell you everything…"

"Mr. Kennell, calm down, everything's all right, we're ready to listen," Plann said. Kennell fell into an armchair and breathed:

"Sophia has been my wife. We got married in Gretna Green two years ago."


	6. A Very Simple Story

**Chapter 6. A Very Simple Story**

"You can find it out if you want, but I think you'll believe me," Dr. Kennell continued. "We met eight years ago, accidentally… fell in love and… I said I was going to a business trip, Sophia told her daughter she was going to visit her friends in France. We met in Gretna Green and were secretly wedded."

"Why all the secrets?" Plann asked.

"My brother's family – my only relations – disapproved of it… Duchess Marianna didn't like me," Dr. Kennell sighed. "When Sophia found out about her child, she decided to tell Marianna everything no matter what," he sighed again. "She never had a chance."

"The story's simple and believable, except for one thing: where's the child?" Plann wanted to know.

"Oh, if I only knew!.." the doctor exclaimed.

"It's strange…" Plann said, in deep thought. "The kid was certainly born by the time Sophia was murdered. In that case, where is he or she? Dead? Alive? By the way, the child's existence gives you, Dr. Kennell, a motive: you didn't want to take care of kids. Or you blackmailed your wife, attempting to take the child away..."

"What?" Kennell cried, furious.

"I'm not accusing you. I'm just saying… It's not highly possible…" the detective paused.

"If Dr. Kennell isn't guilty, I'm sure the boy is in orphanage," Father Brown said.

"Why?" Plann wondered.

"The murderer X is after the duchess's treasure. The only heiress is Marianna Almidia. If the child's a girl, then the situation's the same, but if it's a boy… His dead body mustn't be found – it will be only another evidence. So X brings the boy to an orphanage – telling some entirely false story of finding him on a road or somewhere."

"You mean it was Marianna after all?" Plann and Kennell cried in unison.

"No, that's not possible either. It could be a lucky suitor of hers."

"She didn't have any," Kennell chuckled. "Well, excluding Lorizi – but he's rolling in money anyway."

"Plus, he told me during the inquest that Marianna had once declined his proposal," the detective added.

"Better ask Marianna about it," Father Brown said. "Lorizi might have lied. Have you already asked her about her suitors?"

"I only questioned her once – in your presence," Plann replied. "Also, if she has a fiancé she loves she may try to prove him being innocent. She can even lead us away from the solution."

"Marianna is always honest," Father Brown shook his head. "Mr. Plann, could you search for the little Kennell boy in the orphan asylums?"

"Of course," Plann said.

"Can you do it today?" Kennell pleaded.

"All right," the detective agreed. "So, Dr. Kennell, you'd better tell Marianna about your marriage to Sophia."

"Fine, I'll go to Almidia Villa now," the doctor nodded, smiling.

* * *

**A week later**

Sophia's funeral had taken place. The majestic duchess was buried not far from her villa as _Duchess Sophia Almidia Kennell_.

Meanwhile, Detective Plann found out that on the very day of Sophia's death, around the presumable time of the murder, a newborn boy was brought to the Happiness-Bringing Orphanage – a small old building, a mile away from the Almidia Villa. A very old woman brought the child. According to her words, she found a cradle in the forest.

"What did the woman look like?" Plann asked the orphanage's headmistress.

"Uh… A terribly fat woman she was. Gray and white spotty dress – an odd one, I'd say. Bright orange shawl on her hair. Large glasses. Dark skin, very much wrinkled. A deep crackling voice, almost like a man's. She told us her name was Belinda Mowme, and that she was the mother of Rita Mowme, the secretary of Mr. Yollers."

Plann knew Mr. Yollers – Ferdinand Lorizi's boss. He did arrange a business meeting on the day of the murder but broke his leg and cancelled it.

The detective went to Mr. Yollers. The latter called for Belinda Mowme. Belinda looked just as the headmistress of the orphanage has said. But when being questioned, she refused to admit finding the child and bringing him to the orphanage.

Rita Mowme admitted that her mother was especially sick during the day and didn't go away. Mr. Yollers gave his assurance of the fact.

Plann now knew that the murderer had claimed to be Mrs. Mowme – a well-respected kind woman – to confuse the detectives.

"The servants and Solange Rielle are free of suspicion, they didn't have time to dress up and play this whole part," Plann concluded. "Marianna is still a possibility… Dr. Kennell's alibi is proved by his patients… Lorizi's alibi – by many villagers who live near the villa…"

The case was still a difficult one to solve. The child, though, was obviously the little son of Dr. Kennell and Sophia: he had his mother's complexion and his father's rare features. According to the duchess's will, he was named Louis, and Dr. Kennell got all the happiness in the world when his son was brought to him.

* * *

As for the whole will of Duchess Almidia, it was read aloud by a Judge Illerm, a youngish joyful man who tried to cheer everyone up. He didn't succeed – Marianna was almost in hysterics before eve n the will was read. So Illerm stopped trying to lighten the mood in the house and read the will:

_I, Duchess Sophia Beatrisa Almidia Kennell, wish to leave my possessions to the following people:_

_To my dearest Marianna – the Royal Rubies and half of the money we have in the bank._

_To my darling second child Louis or Louise – the rest of the jewels (except for the ones in the reddish box) and another half of our money from the bank. _

_To my beloved husband Doctor Edmund Kennell – my portraits, other paintings we had, everything from the reddish jewelry box, and the money I used to hide in the cloakroom._

_To Solange, for her kindness – the money hidden in the drawing-room._

_To Ferdinand Lorizi – the marble and chalcedony statues, also the collections of seashells and ancient coins he admires so much._

_The money hidden in the attic goes as a donation to St. Dominic's Church._

_The rest of the money hidden in the house is to be divided among the servants. The Almidia Villa and the possessions not mentioned above go to Edmund, my children, and their families._

_Signed: Sophia Almidia Kennell._

Everyone approved of Sophia's way of dividing her possessions. But the only thing Marianna was honestly pleased about was to have her stepfather, stepbrother, and Solange by her side. Else she would have been totally alone in the world. Even Lorizi's presence didn't cheer her up.

The life seemed to go back to normal – until one cloudy morning, three weeks later, Marianna rang her bell to call Solange and ask to bring the breakfast. Solange didn't come or at least answer…


	7. The Bouquet Of Flowers

**Chapter 7. The Bouquet Of Flowers**

Marianna got dressed and went out to find Solange. The woman wasn't inside the house at all. Now Marianna was awfully worried. She woke Dr. Kennell up and urged him to search the southern part of the garden, while she took the northern one.

Soon Dr. Kennell's trembling voice echoed in the misty orchard:

"Marianna! Marianna! She's here!"

"Solange?" Marianna understood the hint before getting to the place. She still hoped, though, that Solange was only sick – fainted – unconscious…

But there was nothing like that. The kind governess was lying in the grass, her head smashed by an axe, which was left nearby. She had a small bouquet of lilies in her hand. Marianna shivered when noticing there were six lilies there, and the seventh was thrown away – to make the number of the flowers even, obviously. Moreover, the lilies were tied with a red ribbon, which had words written on it:

_For Marianna Almidia, the loveliest of women. A. I._

"Oh, the wicked joke!" Marianna sobbed. "He killed Solange – and left a bouquet for me!"

As she was crying uncontrollably, Dr. Kennel put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly and thought:

"Why, it's not that simple. The bouquet must be a false trace. The ribbon has initials on it "A. I." Maybe they are made up, but most certainly they lead to an innocent person. Although… although… I can't remember anyone with names starting with A and I…"

* * *

When Dr. Kennell reported that to the police station, Detective Plann was shocked. He didn't solve much of this case during these three weeks, but refused to accept the help of anyone. Plann was too proud.

"Solange Rielle is killed?" he exclaimed. "But… but! Who benefits from her death?"

"Marianna and Louis perhaps," Dr. Kennell shrugged. "Mademoiselle Rielle used to say 'I'll leave everything I have to Sophia's children'. She had no will."

"Now that's strange!" Plann said. "The main treasure goes to her children anyway! So, it was logical that Louis or Marianna could be murdered after the senior duchess. Especially since Louis has turned up… But the murderer chooses a friendly middle-aged _governess_, who has relatively little money! Why?"

"The bouquet – it might be a clue," Dr. Kennell suggested. "The initials are probably fake, but it's possible to track down the person who bought the lilies. They're artificial – I examined them – and one of them had a price tag. It was half-torn away, but I could read some of it "_Les Fleurs Belles. Paris_".

"Do you mean the lilies were bought in _France_?" Plann asked.

"It appears so."

"Well, it's the most careful murderer I've ever seen!" Plann admitted. "He was afraid of being seen in our florist shops, so he bought the bouquet in France."

"But how did the bouquet end up in Solange's hand?" Dr. Kennell wondered.

"She might have been asked to deliver this to Marianna. Oh, there it is! The murderer called himself Marianna's suitor. Solange came out to tell him Marianna's still asleep. He distracted her by giving her the bouquet and…"

"Wait! Solange was Marianna's friend. She knew everyone of her suitors – mostly because Marianna has few."

"That means the work will be easy. We have few suspects in that case," Plann said.

Dr. Kennell gave him the strange bouquet. Plann looked at it closely.

"Look!" he suddenly cried and slightly cut the stalk of one of the lilies. A banknote stuck out of it.

The detective took it out.

"Five hundred francs," he blew a whistle and did the same with the whole bouquet.

"There are two or three banknotes hidden inside every lily! Francs, lire and pounds." he concluded.

"Was Solange trying to blackmail the murderer?" Dr. Kennell thought aloud.

"Maybe. Maybe he gave her the bouquet for Marianna while she was asking for money. She was outraged and he killed her."

"That's possible," Dr. Kennell agreed. "Who may be guilty."

"That, I think, I'll figure out with Father Brown's help," Plann said modestly. "I haven't seen such a case in my life."

* * *

Father Brown was called later in the afternoon, because in the morning he naturally was in church.

After visiting the villa, he came to Plann's office to see the remains of the bouquet. Just when he noticed it, he announced:

"It used to be a decoration in Sophia Almidia's room. The Duchess bought it years ago in Paris."

"Are you quite sure?" Plann was amazed.

"Here's the half-missing price tag, and here's the small silver hairpin – have you noticed it? It was Marianna's odd idea to adorn the lilies with a silver hairpin."

"Then it's even more strange!" Plann exclaimed. "Only the ribbon was brought by the murderer."

"It seems so," Father Brown nodded. "Have you any suspects – vague ones, at least?"

"Well, Dr. Kennell had an opportunity. His window is fairly above the place where the body was found. Mind, he lives on the ground floor! But Louis's cradle is in his room, and the baby would have been awoken by voices… So, the possibility isn't so high. Then Marianna. Several parlourmaids confirm her alibi: she slept till half past ten, and Solange has been killed between six and nine approximately. Ferdinand Lorizi lives in a hostel rather far away from here. He drank heavily tonight – celebrated his colleague's birthday. His manservant brought him to the hostel at half past six! And Lorizi would have needed two hours only to get to the villa! The same manservant woke him up at nine sharp…"

"We need some more witnesses," Dr. Kennell said. "Who else has been connected with the Almidia family lately? Marianna's friends: Jane Laurence and her brothers, Ida Peterson, Joel Oldrem, William Glaise. Then Yollers – Lorizi's boss. The Mowmes. Judge Illerm."

"Well, Yollers, the Mowmes and Illerm don't have anything to do with the case," Plann argued. "I have already checked it up. Yollers – good money, fine reputation, plus his leg is broken. The Mowmes – two soft weak-willed ladies. Judge Illerm – a well-known figure in London."

"Anyway, I think we'd better ask them," Father Brown said. "You know, sometimes things can be most unexpected…"


	8. Marianna's Secret

**Chapter 8. Marianna's Secret**

Detective Plann called Marianna and Lorizi to the office first. Dr. Kennell was sent back to the villa to look after Louis.

Plann expressed his sorrow for Marianna's second loss and asked the weeping girl:

"Do you have any idea what enemies Solange had?"

"Nobody!" Marianna groaned. "If Mama _could_ have political enemies, there's no such possibility for Solange. She had never harmed a fly…"

"But could she speak of anyone in an unpleasant manner?" Father Brown wanted to know. "I mean, _did _she do it?"

"N-no," Marianna stammered.

"I see there was an occasion," Plann guessed.

"But it has n-nothing to d-do with the _murders_!" Marianna exclaimed.

"What was that?" Plann demanded.

"Uh… well, so… Solange and I were… were talking about thefts," Marianna explained. "She spoke of thieves, especially of the famous Flambeau, with disdain. She also scolded me – you see, I'm very naïve – and she… she… she said that I could be an easy target for a criminal."

"Alright," Plann said. "I think it does have nothing to do with the case."

"You might be wrong," Father Brown suggested. "After all, there's the question of Treasure and Money we have here! Marianna, what was the reason for the conversation?"

"I can't remember! It was more than six months ago… I'm sure…" Marianna lied. "We were probably just, you know, gossiping."

"Was there a robbery attempt on your villa?" Father Brown asked.

"No," Marianna chuckled at the thought. "Never. The Royal Rubies have always been safe with us."

"Marianna, I think Solange had a reason to scold you, because she rarely did it," Father Brown said. "But if you were a victim of pickpockets or lost your purse in the street, it isn't connected with the murders after all."

"No!" Marianna sighed. She blushed and mustered the courage to _partly _tell the real story:

"I was lost in the woods on the last Christmas Eve. A stranger helped me to find the way. Solange thought he resembled some thief that hadn't been caught yet. Nothing was stolen from me, so, I think, the resemblance was a coincidence."

"Fine," Father Brown said after some thoughts. "So, except for that conversation, Solange had never spoken bad of anyone."

"She called our cook clumsy, but she had never got angry at him," Marianna remembered.

"So far, Solange had no enemies," Plann concluded. "Then, sorry for a personal question, what admirers do you have, Your Excellency?"

"Ferdi," Marianna smiled. "Tim – that's Jane's elder brother. Joel Oldrem and William Glaise… do you know them?"

"Dr. Kennell has already told us," Plann nodded. "What did they think of Solange?"

"Ferdi adored her – like everyone in the world. Tim rarely saw her, because I visit his family more often than he visits us. I can't speak for him. Joel and William hardly noticed her, but they've always been kind and respective with her."

"These are all suitors of yours, right?" Plann asked. "All young men you know."

"There are Harold and Simon Laurence, Jane's other brothers. But Harold is very pompous, and Simon is engaged. There's Judge Illerm – but, well, I've only met him once. The menservants of ours are all elderly… Why do you ask, Detective Plann?"

"Because we found a bouquet in Solange's hand, tied with a colored ribbon. The ribbon had words on it," and Plann recited the words from the ribbon.

"Wait a minute! _A. I._, didn't you say?" Marianna exclaimed. "But Judge Illerm's full name is Archibald Illerm!"

"That's it!" Plann cried. "So it _wasn't _him!"

"Wasn't?"

"Of course!" Plann continued excitedly. "Illerm isn't a retard. He wouldn't have left his initials near the victim's body. Someone faked them to make it seem like it was Illerm."

"One more question. Marianna, have you seen the artificial bouquet of lilies in your mother's room lately?" Father Brown asked.

"No…" Marianna whispered and realized:

"This was _the_ bouquet!"

"Stuffed with money," Plann added. Marianna clasped her head with her hands.

"I can't understand it! I can't! I can't!" she cried.

"Now, now, calm down," Father Brown said. "We'll understand it somehow."

But Marianna was having a hysterical fit. She was sobbing and mumbling some abracadabra. When Father Brown was going to speak another calming words to her, she recovered and took her handkerchief out of her purse.

A fabulous ruby ring sparkled on her ring finger…

"Marianna!" Father Brown didn't hide it when he was dazzled. "Is it an engagement ring?"

Marianna's face turned crimson red. She looked at her left hand, embarrassed.

"Lorizi?" Plann suggested.

"No, no, none of the above!" Marianna sighed. "I declined Ferdi's proposal. Tim, Joel and William can't afford to buy such a ring…"

"You speak like you don't know about it yourself," Plann chuckled.

"I do!" the girl cried. "The man who helped me to get out of the woods… He gave me the ring so I'd remember him…"

"Oh my," Plann groaned. "You've said that, according to Solange, he resembled a thief. Whom exactly?"

Marianna swallowed.

"Listen, Marianna, this person may be the guilty one," Father Brown said gently.

Marianna felt her head spinning:

"He was in his thirties, very tall, with shoulder-length dark hair and amazing green eyes, he was dressed in a strange sparking silvery costume, he jumped from a tree to help me, and if you tell me he's the criminal, I'll have no faith in life anymore!.." Marianna whispered.

"Flambeau!" Father Brown exclaimed. "He has decided to change his ways precisely on that Christmas Eve. It was him no doubt. I had no idea he knew you!"

"Now Monsieur Flambeau is a successful detective," Plann explained. "He's now in Versailles solving a very twisted murder mystery, but when he returns to England, we'll call him to help with the case."

"Oh, so he isn't guilty!" Marianna's face lit up.

"He has been in France for the past two and a half months!" Father Brown smiled. "I'll write him a letter today and tell him about these murders. I'll ask him to come here right after being done with Versailles case."


	9. Lorizi's Evidence and Yet Another Twist

**Chapter 9. Lorizi's Evidence And Yet Another Twist**

After Marianna was calmed down and sent away, Lorizi entered the office. First Plann asked him to repeat his evidence for the day of Sophia's murder, and then started asking him about Solange's death.

"What did you think of Solange?" he asked. Ferdi said bitterly:

"She was the most joyful person I ever met! She was always so lively – such a good friend of darling Marianna's… I didn't know there is a person cruel enough to murder Solange!"

"Now, please, tell us about what you did at the approximate time of the murder," Plann said.

"Oh, a friend of mine, Bobby Feylor, celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday yesterday! We (Bobby, several other friends of his and I) came to the _Daylily _restaurant…" Ferdi hesitated. "Ah, Bobby loves champagne and malmsey. We drank quite a lot there. I think… I think… yes, Pete Bente, my servant, walked me to my hostel in the morning. I remember that it wasn't as dark as at night… I didn't even put on a nightgown – I woke up to find myself fully dressed. Pete woke me up. I had a small breakfast and went to Mr. Yollers – he was to give me some business papers. When I came back, you called me," Ferdi finished.

"Did you go away from the restaurant during the party?" Plann wanted to know.

"Why, no. The _Daylily _serves excellent food, and I love eating it. Also – you know – the wine made me sleepy. I didn't even dance."

"Can your servant give the assurance of your evidence?" Father Brown asked.

"Sure!" Ferdi nodded with enthusiasm. "It's his time off now, but I can find him. I know where he lives."

"Good," Plann sighed. "And can your friends confirm the evidence?"

Ferdi thought a little:

"Maybe. Or maybe not… We drank heavily, you see. I vaguely remember what they were doing during the party."

"Fine… Could you please wait for a moment while we call your friends?"

"Of course," Ferdi exited the office. Plann turned to Father Brown:

"Well, now, what do you think, Father? I doubt he's a murderer. His alibi isn't very strong. If he was guilty, he would have thought of a better one. Also, he had no reason to kill Solange. He _could _have a motive to kill the duchess, since he intended to marry Marianna and inherit these Royal Rubies… But why kill Solange?

"I have a theory that these two murders are separate. They were committed by different people, with different intentions. With the strong-minded and brave duchess gone, there's no one to protect Solange. From whom? I don't know yet. But let's think of it. Murderer X kills Duchess Sophia – for political reasons or for the treasure. The case is in the newspapers. Person Y, a mysterious enemy of Solange's, hears of it. Solange is left under the protection of a simple doctor, a shy scared young heiress, and a newborn baby. Y realizes he or she has a chance to kill Solange!"

"I doubt it," Father Brown said. "Dr. Kennell is just as brave and strong-minded as the late Duchess Almidia. He's very protective over his wife's family _and former servants_."

"But it makes little sense!" Plann exclaimed. "If the second victim was Marianna, or Dr. Kennell, or even Lorizi – I would have explained it! Solange's death just doesn't agree with any possible motive… Wait! Maybe it was _suicide_!"

"It's physically impossible," Father Brown shook his head. "The poor woman's head was smashed with an axe."

Meanwhile, Lorizi went away to fetch his manservant. Soon he came back, smiling:

"Meet Mr. Pete Bente!"

He gestured for Pete to follow him. Plann and Father Brown saw a blond-haired young man not more than twenty years old.

"Hello, good sirs," Pete said, looking afraid.

"Hello, Mr. Bente," Plann said pleasantly. "We only want you to tell the time when your master returned from the party."

"It was twenty-five minutes past six, sir," Pete answered. "I looked at the clock when we came home. I read yesterday's newspapers and drank tea until nine, when I woke Mr. Lorizi up."

"So you are sure he didn't leave the house."

"Quite sure, sir."

Plann let them both leave.

After that, Detective Plann questioned Lorizi's friends and the servants from the Almidia Villa. Lorizi's friends indicated that Lorizi was at the party, ate and drank, and left early in the morning. Marianna's servants confirmed each other's alibis; they hadn't seen Solange since the day before…

"Lorizi seems to be free of suspicion…" Plann concluded, finally.

The next several hours continued with the questioning of Marianna's acquaintances. All of them slept peacefully at the time of the murder. Judge Illerm was on a business meeting in Salisbury. Rita Mowme was in the countryside.

* * *

The following day started with a crying old woman calling the police. Detective Plann learned that she was Mrs. Bente, Pete Bente's mother. Her voice was barely audible, because she was sobbing hysterically. All Plann managed to hear was:

"Oh, oh! Is it the police? I must tell you… I must tell you… My son Pete… he's lying dead in the garden!.. And there's an empty poison bottle in his hand… My husband used to keep the poison for the wasps… Ohh! And a farewell note… Please come quickly!"

After this, she supposedly threw away the telephone – Plann heard it hitting the ground.

"Oh dear," the detective sighed as he called Father Brown urgently to his office. "Pete Bente – the servant we questioned yesterday – is dead!"

Pete Bente was lying peacefully in a flowerbed. His face was purple and convulsed, and his hand was still gripping a bottle labeled "POTASSIUM CYANIDE! BE CAREFUL!". Another hand held a farewell note. Plann picked it up. It read:

_Dear Mommy, it's the best thing I can do for now. Everything I said to the policemen was true. Sorry, sorry, sorry! Pete._

"That's ridiculous!" Plann exclaimed. "Mrs. Bente, is the handwriting different from your son's?"

"It's his own, I know it!" cried Mrs. Bente.

"I don't! Under! Stand!" the detective shouted. "Why? Why all this? Why the suicide?"

"I don't understand either", Father Brown said quietly. "But I see everything."

"See?" Plann raised his eyebrows.

"Well, yes. But the only thing I can say right now is that you will never be able to meet Judge Illerm anymore."

"Illerm?" Plann was totally confused. "Is he the murderer? Is he Pete Bente?.."

"I'm not saying one of these guesses is right. I'm saying you'll never see Archibald Illerm anymore," Father Brown shook his head. "Oh, and also… We must keep an eye on the inhabitants of the Almidia Villa."

Plann understood nothing. The only thing he _could _do was prepare for the inquest on Bente's death and inform Lorizi of it.


	10. Dr Kennell's Coffee Death Cup

**Chapter 10. Dr. Kennell's Coffee Death Cup**

The Almidia Villa was silent. Even Louis, who sometimes cried non-stop for half an hour, was unnaturally quiet. Ferdi Lorizi, Jane Laurence and Ida Peterson came for lunch, but they couldn't cheer the family up. After a pointless conversation about the weather and the girls left. Ferdi stayed only a minute longer to kiss Marianna's hand and smile reassuringly at her:

"Darling, I will always protect you. You just allow me to do it, and you'll be perfectly safe from anyone and anything."

Marianna said a strained goodbye to him and then made coffee with milk for herself and Dr. Kennell, whom she didn't persuade herself to call Uncle Edmund. Then she pretended to become fully absorbed in _Pride and Prejudice_, while Dr. Kennell was genuinely excited by some news published in his medical magazine.

Ten minutes passed, and then the doctor took his cup. He almost took a sip, when suddenly something seemed suspicious to him. He sniffed the coffee, and his face twisted with fright and disgust:

"What the?.. There's grinded death-cup put in there!"

"What?" Marianna cried, dropping the book. Louis woke up and began to whimper.

Dr. Kennell rushed to his stepdaughter's desk, snatched her cup, and sniffed it. His bewildered expression was immediately replaced with a suspicious one:

"Nothing in there."

"Are you telling me I put it in your coffee?" Marianna was very offended, but Kennell had already calmed down. He began to hum a lullaby for Louis, once in a minutes raising his head and addressing Marianna:

"Now, now. I'm not accusing you of it. Actually, I think that our murderer has finally lost his or her mind. Death-cup has a specific smell, and nearly ten ounces of it were put into the cup – luckily for the criminal, it's large!.. But also such a quantity of the poison can't be mistaken for anything. Especially since I'm a doctor."

"Who could have done it?" Marianna whispered.

"Everyone! It could – not must, but could – have been you, wishing to get all the inheritance. It could have been Ferdi, wanting the same thing. It could have been either Jane or Ida – for I don't know what reason! It could have been one of Sophia's loyal servants, who crept to our room while we were reading and knowing nothing of the real world…"

"I… I didn't read," the young duchess confessed. "I just – well, wasn't able to concentrate on the book."

"Oh well, fine, a servant could have put poison inside the cup during the night! I haven't drunk anything since last evening! Or I could have poison the coffee myself – though I know I didn't!"

"Why do you need to poison your own drink?"

"Don't you see? The real murderer always tries to hide himself or herself. Suppose I'm the murderer. I fill my own coffee with death-cup, so that no one would doubt me – death-cup is easily spotted. I pretend to notice it suddenly, and let everyone naturally think that I'm definitely a _victim_, not the criminal."

"If you would have really done this, you wouldn't draw my attention to this possibility," Marianna faintly chuckled. "Oh my, I feel surrounded by criminals! Only you and Louis, left of my family – but what if they get to you next?.."

When Father Brown was told about the incident, he frowned:

"It's a false clue."

"What do you mean?" wondered Plann.

"I mean that, as Dr. Kennell has already guessed, no sane criminal would fill a cup with poisonous mushroom that has a specific smell! Moreover, he wants to give it to a person with excellent medical knowledge! _Moreover_, this particular criminal had acted very smart before – why does he suddenly become so stupid now?"

"Ah, so Kennell put the poison there himself."

"Not necessary. The poison is surely supposed to lead us to a false trace. It's obvious. The question is: what trace? And, then, which trace is right?"

Plann said nothing but thought that Father Brown was being too much of a philosopher.

"Oh, by the way," Plann murmured after a pause. "Your suspicions were correct. Archibald Illerm has disappeared. Wiped clean off the Earth by supernatural powers. Almost nobody knows him, there are no records of him living or working anywhere. That's your case, Father. Illerm might have been a ghost."

"Unfortunately, the thing is connected with human evil," Father Brown sighed and sunk into his thoughts again. Plann shrugged and went to arrange a new search for Illerm.

* * *

Paris was wonderful. Despite the dreadful boiling sun, despite the boring final trials of the arsonists from Versailles, Flambeau enjoyed his time in the capital city of France. He had just returned from the Louvre to his hotel, anxious to have some rest and a nice dinner, when the hotel owner came rushing to him, waving a piece of paper in the air.

The paper was an urgent telegram. In English. Flambeau looked at the address and smiled – it was from Father Brown.

The text was short but frightening:

**_Young Marianna Almidia in trouble. Come to England quickly. No time._**

Flambeau gasped. Almidia! The memories flashed instantly before his eyes. The lovely fair girl, her bright eyes full of both fear and hope, pale face, trembling hands… The gullible grip of her small fingers… The silvery voice, ringing like a nightingale's song…

He was sure that "young Marianna" was that girl from the Almidia Villa. Father Brown had somehow found out about their walk through the forest. And now that the girl is in trouble…

In trouble! These words seemed to wake Flambeau up. The former thief was clever enough to figure out that "trouble" meant "life or death situation". As for "no time", it meant that the azure eyes at any moment could go glassy, and the trembling hands would calm down forever…

Flambeau raised his head, quickly checked out of the hotel and ran to the railway station.

"Thankfully, I haven't forgot how to run really fast…" he praised himself mentally.


	11. Finale

**Chapter 11. Finale**

Marianna was sitting on her ottoman and crying. She was more frightened than she had ever been in her entire life. She didn't believe anybody of the people surrounding her. Louis was too small to understand anything (lucky child!), and Father Brown was always busy, busy solving the case with Detective Plann.

Even Ferdi, Ida and Jane were like aliens to Marianna now. She suspected everybody of them. She had never had a strong character, and the latest events seemed to shatter her soul into pieces.

The girl closed her eyes and tried to relax…

Suddenly, Dr. Kennell entered the room. He had a surgical knife in one hand and a bottle labeled "chloroform" in another.

"She's asleep," he muttered to himself. "Good. No fuss, all quiet and efficient…"

"I'm not asleep!" Marianna wanted to shout, but all she could do was wheeze and croak.

Dr. Kennell seemed startled a little, but then he regained self-control:

"Oh, fine. Then I'll tell you everything. You know how it goes: the deadlier your secret is, the more you want to confess it to someone.

"I've loved Sophia and never, never hurt her. She killed herself because she had a frightening hallucination after taking an overdose of a certain drug which is useful when it's taken in little portions. Never mind. So Sophia gave birth to Louis and then accidentally killed herself. But you are the one who doesn't deserve to live – your father was a mentally unstable fool, you'd be a bad heiress to the Royal Rubies… Louis, my son, will get everything. Why did I kill your governess? Because I got mad at her. Why did I kill Illerm? Because he suspected me… I urged Pete Bente to take poison. Now I'll kill you, Ferdi, Father Brown, and Jane, and Ida, and…"

"Nooo!" Marianna screamed. The doctor dropped his knife, startled again, and…

And Marianna woke up, shuddering. A knock on the door took her away from her horrible nightmare.

"Yes?" the duchess asked weakly. Her maid Julia entered the room:

"Miss, sorry to bother you. First, there's a message left from Father Brown. The true criminal was Archibald Illerm. He's already arrested. Father will tell you the whole story very soon. And second, Mr. Lorizi wishes to see you."

"Thank God!" Marianna breathed. She had never felt such great relief before. It was doubled by the feeling that the criminal was a near-stranger, so she didn't feel much hurt after the discovery. Only hatred for the man who killed her mother, her governess and some poor innocent servant – and again relief, relief, relief. No more nightmares! No more suspicions! Marianna wanted to dance around the room and cheer.

She heard quick footsteps on the stairway, and in five seconds Ferdi was standing in front of her.

"Marianna, the beauty queen!" he grinned. "Heard the news, didn't you?"

"Oh yes! Such a relief…"

"I understand, sweetheart," Ferdi nodded. "Now that you don't give me that scary suspicious look of yours anymore, I'll repeat a question I've already asked you once. Marianna Almidia, will you marry me after the mourning time for Sophia and Solange ends?"

"Ferdi, I've answered you," Marianna replied. "And I haven't changed my mind. You're a dear, dear friend – one of my dearest ones – but not the man I wish to wed."

"I know that!" the young man exclaimed. "But still… Just listen to me, darling. Julia told me how stressed, weakened and unnerved you were during this case. Are you sure you can live on your own, with no one to protect you? Dr. Kennell is a strong-minded and sensible man, but he's growing old and so he's going to pass away relatively soon! Louis is a baby, you are supposed to protect him, not vice versa. I can't imagine what can happen to your soul and mind if you become alone one day.

"I'm not asking for love. I'm not actually even asking for loyalty. I just want to be your constant guard, so that no reincarnation of Illerm may haunt you. Please, if you don't love me, think about yourself!"

Marianna thought for a while and decided to tell him the whole truth. She outstretched her left hand and pointed at the ruby ring:

"Ferdi, I'm very honored by your proposal. Thank you for caring for me so much. But I'm engaged. You see? To the man I've told you about. He is strong and clever, and, which is more important, kind and sweet, and, which is yet more important, I love him. He'll be perfectly able to protect me. Oh, I'm sorry for you, honestly. I didn't mean to hurt you so much…"

She stopped. Ferdi's playful expression faded, replaced with pure fury.

"Oh well, I wonder if my lucky rival can protect you now…" he said slowly.

Marianna froze:

"Wh-what in the world do you mean?"

"That I'm going to get the Royal Rubies the hard way," Ferdi explained coldly, taking a surgical knife out of his pocket.

"Are you?.. But Father Brown left a note that Illerm…" Marianna felt panic fill her soul and unbearable ache clutch her heart.

"He didn't. I told Julia that I received such a note. Which never existed. Also I sent Julia to do some shopping, so she'll be away for another two hours. Kennell is walking with the baby in the park. The rest of the servants are safely drugged. So don't worry."

Marianna fell onto the ottoman:

"It was you the whole time…" she groaned.

"Yes," Ferdi said proudly. "I've been waiting to get the Royal Rubies for fifteen years."

"Fifteen? How old are you? Aren't you twenty-five?"

"That's of no concern for you. You'll be more interested in the story of these murders, I suppose. Well, then, fine! I have some spare time. Let's start with the first one. Your father. I killed him before introducing myself to your family. It was stupidly easy! I just sneaked into your garden and dropped an overdose of sedative into old duke's cup. He died in three hours. His wife, unfortunately, was much more careful. This proud pompous dog! I killed her right after she gave premature birth to the little useless brat. Then there was the brainless round-eyed sheep – Solange. I couldn't stand her! Now, at last, you, you weak gullible chicken. I was going to marry you and give you a sedative overdose in a year or two. But you chose to die earlier…"

As Marianna listened to her former best friend cursing and insulting her loved ones and herself, she felt something heavy replacing her heart. She wanted to close her eyes and just faint, so she was barely conscious of the knife being raised and scratching her left arm.

"You will not die instantly," he promised brutally and made a cut on her right arm. Marianna prayed for the torture to end as soon as possible.

But after Ferdi wiped the knife with his raincoat and looked for the place to make the next cut, two things happened out of the blue at the same moment.

An enormous fist hit him straight in the face. Lorizi flew to the opposite end of the room. Marianna heard bones cracking. Meanwhile, another hand grasped her and lifted her up. Before the girl could figure out what was going on, she found herself looking into the familiar malachite green eyes.

"Hello, Marianna," smiled Flambeau and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, then turned his attention to Lorizi.

"Didn't I promise to wring your neck if you ever cross my path again?" he hissed.

"Try it! I have a pistol!" Lorizi squeaked.

"No, you don't," Flambeau showed him his free hand, which was holding a small handgun. "I am the best pickpocket in the world, in case you forgot it. Also, as I now represent the justice of the UK, I'll leave you at its mercy and let it wring your neck."

As he said it, six policemen rushed inside the room, and Flambeau carried Marianna away to the hall. He softly put her on the sofa and asked:

"Where does Dr. Kennell keep hydrogen peroxide and bandages?"

"I don't know, but I have a First Aid box in the second drawer of the wardrobe in my room."

"Wonderful. Then could you wait for a moment?"

He rushed to her room and returned with a white box in five seconds.

"Can I help you with it?" Flambeau looked a bit embarrassed. "You're not able to move your hands."

"Oh, of course!" Marianna smiled. He gently rolled her blood-soaked sleeves up and treated her wounds, murmuring something unintelligible in French.

"What did you say?" the girl asked.

"It's not for a lovely girl's ear," Flambeau explained. "It's about Rippit. The man you knew as Ferdinand Lorizi."

"Oh," Marianna shivered, her face twisting at the thought of Lorizi. "Who's he really?"

"Antoine Rippit, a famous bloodthirsty murderer," Flambeau said with disdain. "He had lived in La Rochelle for several years. That's where I met him. He called me milksop, because I've never killed anyone. We had a big fight… He got away by telling me a very strained apology, but I promised to wring his neck the next time. Well, this time came…" Flambeau blushed and finished. "Rippit wanted to kill the girl I love."

Marianna blinked.

"Marianna, _ma chère_, I've fallen in love with you the first time I saw you in the forest. Honestly. You're my first love, and you're my second and last love. Will you marry me?"

"Yes, yes, of course!" Marianna exclaimed but then stopped. "Only… why did you say 'my first and second love'?"

"Oh, well," shrugged Flambeau. "There was one thing after our adventure in the forest. Not a love, not even an affair, just – an admiration, you know. I felt it for my neighbor, Pauline Stacy. She was beautiful in her own way and quite smart, she had a character, but… She wasn't you. And after all, I've not even thought of marrying that poor woman."

"Poor?"

"She was killed. Father Brown solved the case, of course. I'll tell you about it later. As you see, you don't need to be jealous, sweetheart. So, will you marry me? You may think I'm after these seven blasted Rubies as well, but still – will you?.."

Marianna laughed:

"If I have seven thousand of the Royal Rubies, I would have given all them to you."

Flambeau laughed too, sat next to Marianna, threw his arms around her, and pulled her into a kiss. It seemed to be never going to end, but two polite coughs in unison were soon heard at the front door. Flambeau and Marianna raised their heads to see Father Brown and Dr. Kennel, who was holding Louis.

"Well," said Father Brown after an awkward pause. "I assume there will be a wedding in about a year in some Catholic church."

"It will be St. Dominic's church no doubt!" exclaimed Flambeau.

"Of course!" Marianna agreed. "Father Brown, you baptized Louis, the burial services for Mom and Solange were held in St. Dominic's…"

"And you saved my soul," Flambeau added. Father Brown smiled:

"Well, I don't know whether I should be thanked for helping you saving your soul, Flambeau, but I'm sure I will help you and Marianna with the wedding ceremony."

"You have my permission," Dr. Kennell added.

Louis didn't understand why everyone around was happy and laughing, but he guessed something good had happened and laughed with everybody else.

* * *

**The next chapter will be the real finale, with the explanation of the case. **


	12. Explanation

**Chapter 12. The Explanation**

"Another two cups of tea, please," Flambeau ordered. He would have actually preferred wine, but his distressed fiancée was advised not to drink alcohol for a while, so Flambeau decided they'd better have the same thing to drink.

They were sitting in _La Rose Blanche_, an exclusive restaurant in Paris. There were two days remaining until the trial of Lorizi-Rippit, and Flambeau and Marianna agreed to relax a little and go on a vacation to France.

"Well, the last arsonist revealed himself with this most trivial thing ever imagined: his cigar ash," Flambeau finished his story of his Versailles case. "I caught him red-handed with the stolen sculpture, so… The rest is just the boring trials."

"Oh!" Marianna laughed, taking a sip of tea. Then, suddenly, her face grew serious.

"My dear, you promised to tell me the whole story about Ferdi Lorizi – Rippit, I mean."

"I just didn't want to distress you even more," Flambeau said gently. "But if you wish to hear it yourself…"

Marianna nodded. He took her hand and began:

"Well, as I've told you, Rippit is French. He was born forty-seven years ago in a homeless shelter in Montmartre, I think. As he was treated worse that awful in childhood, he grew up to become the most bloodthirsty criminal ever existed. He could kill a person for several brass coins or a Chinese silk handkerchief.

"When he was thirty-two, he heard of the Royal Rubies. Naturally, he immediately wished to get them. He thought it an easy thing, because your family was forced to move to England and left practically without any protection.

"He killed old Duke Almidia, as he told you, with an overdose of drug. And then he disguised himself as a young promising businessman, got employed at Yollers & Jordans, and befriended you and your mother. He was going to get the Rubies, kill you both and vanish, but there was one major problem… Oh, Marianna!"

Marianna's face blanched, her hands clenched the tablecloth and trembled, and her eyes grew wide. Flambeau stood up and bent over her:

"Darling, what is it? I shouldn't have been so straight when telling you all this horror!"

"It's alright," Marianna sighed, as color rose to her cheeks again. "I just remembered how friendly he looked when we met him… It's dreadful that back then he was already planning the m-murders… But I want to hear the rest of it! Don't worry, sweetheart, continue."

"Well… Duchess Sophia had the Rubies safely hidden and denied having them in her possession. Your mother was a very smart lady. Rippit was confused. Were the Royal Rubies really in England? He waited to find out. He waited for a long time, then he found out about the Rubies – with the assistance of his accomplice. The man you knew mostly as Archibald Illerm.

"Illerm – let's call him by this name, because no one knows his true identity – was a master of disguise and forgery. He put on a mask of a judge and got acquainted your mother's lawyers in London. This year, shortly after Christmas, he saw the paper he was looking for in their office. Duchess Sophia's will. Which unmistakably mentioned the Royal Rubies.

"Illerm and Rippit were delighted and began planning the way to get them. Their plan was the following. First, they intended to kill your clever strong-willed mother. Then – murder Solange, your best friend and constant companion, to give you the feeling of loneliness and helplessness."

"Why?" cried Marianna.

"The reason is simple, _ma chère_! You declined Rippit's proposal. But he needed to marry you to get the Rubies. So he wanted to torture you psychologically to convince you to marry him after all.

"At first everything went well. In the evening, on a certain date in July, Rippit learned by Illerm's inquiries that his boss had broken a leg. He pretended not to know it, and on the next day marched 'to a business meeting' from the Almidia Villa, while you went away to the garden and Solange went to fetch Dr. Kennell.

"Rippit walked away through the village a little, then met Illerm, and they together returned to the villa and crawled up a garden ladder to Sophia's window. And there was a surprise for them! Sophia was giving a bit premature birth to Louis – she sent for Dr. Kennell because of that!

"There was no time to waste. Illerm took the baby and ran away to dispose of him somehow. He quickly went to Rippit's house, and after a few minutes he turned into a clone of kind old Belinda Mowme. Belinda Mowme brought Louis to an orphanage. The headmistress immediately called Dr. Kennell to examine the poor baby. Mrs. Mowme made up a reason to leave, went away into the woods and in two minutes turned back into Illerm.

"Meanwhile, Rippit shot Sophia, put her unfinished note into her hand, hid her diary under ash and rushed away as well. He had some time to throw the pistol into a nearby river, wash his hands, comb his hair, and come to the Almidia Villa once more – whistling, singing and happy! So, you see how the first murder was done.

"What happens next?

"Everything's still not going according to the murderers' plan. The strong and careful Dr. Kennell turns up. Another protector for you, darling! Rippit and Illerm are confused again. But they still decide to kill Solange.

"Three weeks after Sophia's death Rippit, accompanied by his dull gullible servant Pete Bente, goes to a party. When everyone is drunk, Illerm, fairly disguised as Rippit, appears in the restaurant as well. Rippit says he feels sick, walks away 'for a minute' – but it's not he who comes back! It's Illerm! The drunk guests see the same clothes, the dark complexion, the black hair – they think it's Rippit. And when going home, Illerm puts on a hooded cloak that hides his face. That's why poor Pete Bente is sure it's his master who came home and overslept Solange's murder.

"Rippit has presumably arranged a meeting with Solange beforehand – 'to plan a surprise for Marianna', as he most likely told her. It is easy for him to put on gloves, get to his apartment, take his axe, go to your villa and murder Solange. He puts the lily bouquet (previously stolen from Sophia's room) into her hand. He even stuffs the bouquet with money to make the case even more twisted.

"After this, one last difficulty to deal with remains. Pete Bente, as an honest lad, can blurt out that Rippit has known about Yollers's broken leg before he went 'to the meeting'. Well, the poor servant is quietly killed, probably strangled and thrown into the river or a lake. Archibald Illerm, again being a genius of forgery, fakes Bente's farewell note. Rippit suggests Illerm would impersonate Bente's corpse as well. Illerm agrees and lies down in the Bentes' garden with a twisted face, half-opened mouth and clenched fists. Well, he signs his own death warrant: Rippit empties a whole bottle of potassium cyanide into his accomplice's mouth and nose. He doesn't want to share the Almidia fortune, especially the Royal Rubies, with anyone! Illerm's body, with purple unrecognizable face and dressed in Bente's clothes, is recognized as Pete Bente's corpse.

"Rippit now has only to discourage you completely. He puts grinded death-cups into Dr. Kennell's coffee. Even if Dr. Kennell found the poison before drinking – which is what happens – Rippit's goal is achieved. You're distressed and broken, so you'll agree to marry him. What's next? Well… In several years, Duchess Marianna Lorizi would have been found dead after taking an overdose of some sleeping draught. Or maybe she would have died after being injected with potassium cyanide, and her stepfather's syringe or poison bottle would be laid near her body. So, Dr. Kennell would have been hanged for murder, Louis – given up for adoption… And Marianna's heartbroken spouse would have sold the villa and vanished from England with all her money and the Rubies.

"Rippit's plan was perfect," admitted Flambeau. "He thought of every possible surprise… but one. He didn't figure out that I was your fiancé, that Father Brown sent me an urgent telegram, asking me to come quickly, and that I loved you."

"Oh…" Marianna whispered, clenching his hand. "It's horrible… How can people do this just for several crimson stones?"

"I've never known it fully," Flambeau shrugged. "Myself, I've never spilled a drop of blood. Although I like gems very much."

"And you found out everything about Rippit?" Marianna looked at him respectfully.

"No, I didn't! Father Brown solved most of the case. He just didn't know Rippit's true identity, and that's what I helped him with. So, Marianna, thank him for everything!"

"Not for everything…" Marianna smiled. "It was you who saved me from Lor… Rippit's clutches."

"I couldn't let my fiancée get married to a murderer, could I?" chuckled Flambeau.

* * *

In two days, Antoine Rippit, also known as Ferdinand Lorizi, was charged of murder of Sophia Kennell, Solange Rielle, Pete Bente, and Archibald Illerm, and attempted murder of Marianna Almidia and Edmund Kennell. He was found unmistakably guilty, especially since poor Pete Bente's body was found by the police, half-drowned in a pond, and one of Rippit's gloves was lying near it.

Marianna had to be present on the trial, as a witness and a victim. But she had a nervous breakdown after giving her evidence, so the judge allowed Dr. Kennell to take her away from the court.

In a year and two months, Flambeau and Marianna were wedded by Father Brown in St. Dominic's Church. After a few weeks spent abroad in Europe and the US on a honeymoon and yet another few weeks spent on the Almidia Villa, Flambeau decided to retire and move to Aragon. He wasn't completely happy with his profession of a detective, also he felt like with his job he couldn't pay enough attention to his wife. That's why the couple bought a nice cozy villa in Spain, and in no time both were ready to go there.

The Royal Rubies were taken to Spain too, but only to be presented to the Spanish Royal Family. Marianna felt it a right decision, because she didn't want to possess the gems that evoked so many losses and so much pain.

"We did what we were supposed to do," she sometimes told her husband, "these gemstones rightfully belong to the Royals. Mom said they were originally given to Isabella of Castile, the current Royal Family's ancestor. I think that if the Rubies are kept where they are supposed to be, they won't cause any loss of blood again."

"Of course," Flambeau agreed. "We are not the king and queen, and we have enough money besides the Rubies to live prosperously. And, anyway, _ma fleur, _aren't we perfectly happy without the Royal Rubies?"


End file.
